English Language & Literature — CBSE Class 10 board question

"The Sermon at Benaras" deals with grief and the universal truth about life and death. When Kisa Gotami loses her son, she begs for medicine to revive him. The Buddha sends her to fetch mustard seeds from a house where no one has died. She finds no such house, realising that death visits every family. This teaches her that death is inevitable and grief is universal. The lesson is not to grieve endlessly but to accept life's impermanence with composure.

"For Anne Gregory" deals with the theme of love. Anne Gregory wishes to be loved for her inner self, not her yellow hair. The speaker argues that only God can truly love a person for their soul alone, not for outward beauty.

Both texts together suggest that true love transcends appearances, and acceptance of life's realities — whether death or imperfection — brings wisdom and peace.

Source: First Flight — "The Sermon at Benaras" (Ch. 10); "For Anne Gregory" (Ch. 9)

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• Examiners expect you to address both texts and link them to both themes (love + life/death).
• For "Sermon at Benaras": focus on the theme of life, death, and grief — the mustard seed episode is the key example.
• For "For Anne Gregory": focus on love — inner beauty vs. outer beauty, and the idea that only God loves the soul.
• The concluding sentence linking both texts earns the synthesis mark — don't skip it.
• Keep examples textual; avoid vague generalisations.